Improvement in bottle-stoppers



A. E. RICH. Bottle- Stopper.

,sss. Patented April 22, 1879.

time e m w J N-PETERS, FHOTO-LITKOGRAFBER, WLBilINGTON D C UNITED SrA'rEs PATENT OFFICE;

AUGUSTUS E. tlOH, ()F FALL RIVER, lllASSAOHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT lN BOTTLE-STOPPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,585, dated April 22, 1879; application filed March 25, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known tliatI, AUGUSTUS E. RICH, of Fall River, of the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a newvand .useful Improvement in Bottle-Stoppers; and

do hereby declare the same to be described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figures 1 and 2 are side views, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section, of my improved stopper applied to the neck of a bottle.

My invention may be said to consist as follows: first, in the described stopper-fastening device, consisting of a neck-band .and a link pivoted thereto and to a stopper-cap, a locking-lever pivoted to the neck-band, and a link pivoted to the" said locking-lever, and adapted to engage with a projection in the stopper'cap; second, in the combination of a collar and two y'okes, arranged and applied as described, with a link and with a cap provided with an induct and a valve thereto, substantially as set forth; third, in the elastic capwasher, chambered and provided with a hole through it, and with a valve thereto, all being as and for use substantially as specified fourth, in a valve-opener constructed, arranged, and combined, substantially as described, with the bottle-stopper, provided with an induct and valve, all essentially as set forth.

As represented, and provided with one induct and valve, the stopper is intended more especially for bottles to hold aerated liquors or liquors highly charged with carbonic-acid gas, and is to enable such bottles to be charged and discharged to advantage. I

In the drawings, A denotes a metallic cap, furnished with two ears, a b, extended from it in manner as shown, Fig. 4 being a top view of it. To this cap there is a button or dovetailed projection, 0, through which and the cap is a hole or induct, d. On the said projection is sprung a eorrespondingly-soeketed vulcanized india rubber elastic washer, d. This washer (a transverse section of which is shown in Fig. 5) has a hole, a, through it at its center, and is provided or constructed with a flap or valve,f, to cover such hole, the washer and the flap being in one piece.

The elastic washer is to fit upon and extend ashort distance within the mouth of the neck of the bottle B, and by means of one of its ears-via, that one which is turned downward, ais hinged or jointed to a link, 0, which in turn is hinged or jointed to one of the ears 9., extending, in manner as represented, from a metallic collar, D, which encompasses the bottle-neck immediately below its head Fig. 6 is a top view of the said collar D and its three ears g h h.

A yoke, E, pivoted to the two cars h It has pivoted to it near its middle another yoke, F, such yokes being formed, arranged, and applied in manner as represented in the drawings. By hitching the yoke F upon the ear I) of the stopper-cap A, and turning the yoke E downward against the bottle, the said cap will be drawn and fastened upon the elastic washer, so as to contract it upon and cause it to close with an air-tight joint the mouth of the bottle.

Furthermore, there is used or connected with the collar a bent wire or valve-opener, G, which, formed and attached as represented, passes through an ear or projection, 70, extending from the collar. This valve-opener is supposed to be so applied to the neck or the ear Is as to be capable of being moved up and down, or otherwise in a manner to enable the part l to be inserted in the induct of the cover, and afterward to be forced therein and upon the valve by a persons finger applied to the hooked part at of such opener G, such being to open the valve or force it off its seat. Should the bottle be charged with a liquid and condensed air or gas, the valve will be closed on its seat by the expansive power of such air or gas. 0n inverting or turning down the bottle, and forcing the valve 01f its seat by means of the valve-opener, the liquid, by the said expansive force of the air or gas, will be discharged through the stopple, and may be intercepted or caught in a tumbler or vessel for being drank or otherwise used, the valve being closed at once 011 the removal of the opener. After the opener may have done its office it may be turned or moved down below the cap or out of the way thereof sufficiently to admit of the charging-tube of a gasometer or liquid-holder being properly applied to the induct.

Both ears of the cap are bent down below its upper surface, so as not to be in the way of the charging apparatus when so applied to the top of the'cap.

The above-described bottle-stopper enables a bottle to be charged with a liquid and air or gas to great advantage, for in case of the pressure in the bottle counterbalancin g that in the supply-vessel, so as to interrupt or stop the fiowage of liquid into the bottle, we have only to ease up the cap a little to allow of escape of more or less of the gas or air from the bottle. After thebottlemayhave been sufficiently charged the lower yoke should be turned down, the two yokes thus co-operating to firmly hold down the cap, so as to effect with the elastic washer a complete sealing or stoppage of the bottle.

I am aware that it is not new to use a vcollar and two yokes with a stopple and neck of a bottle, in which case one of the yokes has usually extended across or through the stopple, and therefore I do not claim such. Be-

sides such I, in carrying out my invention, employ with the cap and collar the two ears and alink, such ears being projected from the cap, and the link being jointed to the collar and one of such ears, and I arrange the two yokes so that the upper or larger of them may I be hitched or hooked'upon the other of such and the link F, pivoted to the said locking-lever, and adapted to engage with a projection, I), on the stopper-cap, all being substantially as set forth.

2. The elasticwasher d, constructed with the valve and hole and the dovetailed chamber, arranged as represented.

3. The valve-opener Gr, provided with ahook or projection to enter the opening cl of the stopper, and applied to the collar D, substantially in manner and so as to operate as and for the purposes as set forth.

' AUGUSTUS E. RICH.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, JOHN It. SNOW. 

